My Destino
by MissLucyInTheSky
Summary: It was just another monotonous day at Forks High School. Nothing significant would happen. Nothing in my tedious, unending life would change that day. Or at least that was what I thought. Until I met her, Isabella Swan. My undoing, my Destiny. AU
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is my second Twilight fanficion. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue it, but I will if I get enough good feedback on it. So please, if you read it, and like it…review! Or another chapter might not come for awhile.  
Please Enjoy:**

_It was just another monotonous day at Forks High School. Nothing significant would happen. Nothing in my tedious, unending life would change that day. Or at least that was what I thought. Until I met her. Isabella Swan. My undoing._

The day had started out much like any other. My siblings and I readied ourselves for another day of school, pretending that we belonged there. With human beings. Alice was her usual bubbly-self, bouncing up and down about some, 'new student' that would begin attending school today. I didn't see why she would even care. We never interacted with the humans of the school anyway, unless it was absolutely necessary. A new student, a new face, would mean nothing to me. I wouldn't notice them, even if they noticed me, which they most likely would. Regardless of these undeniable facts, Alice burst into my room and deposited a pressed black button-up shirt, and a pair of dark wash jeans.

"Alice why do I nee-" I was silenced by her slender finger pressed against my lips. I sighed in defeat.

"ah ah ah…just wear it. You should look nice today." With that, she bound effortlessly like a gazelle out of my room, bringing the door with her. I dressed quickly and grabbed my bag from next to my door. I saw no reason why this day would be any different. But Alice did. And that worried me. I would never bet against Alice, and she had carefully been keeping her thoughts and visions hidden from me for two days now, reciting the entire works of Shakespeare in Latin. I let out a resigned sigh as I descended the stairs to my waiting family. Emmett and Rosalie were conversing in hushed tones to Esme, while Jasper was trying to contain a still-bouncing Alice. Carlisle had left for the day already. When I made it to the ground level, they all stared at me. Something was wrong here, but none of their thoughts led on.

"Come on, let's go now or we'll be late!" Alice headed to the garage with Jasper in tow without another word. Emmett and Rose followed. Esme approached me.

"Be careful today, Son." I stared at her. Now I was annoyed. There was obviously something they were keeping from me.

"What's going on, Esme? You're all acting so weird." I hated to be frustrated with my mother, but I couldn't help it at the moment.

"We're not sure, Edward…just don't do anything rash." Since when had _I _ever done anything rash?

I smiled at her, despite my mounting impatience, and looked her in the eyes.

"I promise, I won't." She smiled back warmly and hugged me tightly before shooing me towards the garage and the others.

They had all piled into my Volvo, as usual. I got into the drivers seat and slid the key into the ignition. Alice was beside me in the passenger seat, and the other three had taken the back. I pulled out of the garage and began to speed towards the school at my usual speed of 120 mph.

"You have a class with her." Alice giggled and turned from the window to look at me.

"And your point is, Alice?" I groaned in frustration. She still was not letting me in, instead she sang the most obnoxious pop song she could think of. Jasper was reciting the American Constitution over and over. Rosalie was weighing the pros and cons of rebuilding her BMW's new engine. Emmett was going over last years baseball statistics. I ground my teeth together.

"Just thought you might want to know that. She smiled and resumed looking out the side window.

"Well I don't! I don't care about this new girl. What makes you think I would?" My little outburst had gotten all of their attention.

"You're going to find her interesting, trust me." That was all I could get out of her for the rest of the trip. How could this new girl possibly mean anything to me? I didn't know her. I didn't _want _to know her either. I hadn't ever met a human I found to be 'interesting' in the slighted bit in my hundred plus years of life. How would this girl be any different? She wouldn't be. Alice was wrong. She had to be wrong.

We pulled into the parking lot ten minutes before classes started. I threw the car into park and let myself out before Alice could get another word in. I walked ahead of the rest of them, straight to first period English. When I had taken my seat, I wondered. Alice had not told me which class the girl would be in. Could it be this one? I waited for the final bell to signal the beginning of class before I searched for an unfamiliar face. Then I realized that they were all unfamiliar. I didn't know any of these humans well enough to know if it was their first day or if they'd been here all along. Then it hit me. I was _looking _for her. I groaned internally. I would not let Alice's petty vision get to me. This girl meant nothing. Just another faceless human in the masses. I told myself this over and over, yet ever class period, I found myself searching for someone new. Someone different. I was angry at myself for letting some human I didn't even know get the better of me. I was being ridiculous. I knew this, yet I kept searching. The teacher's lectures went unheard, notes went unwritten. I just thought. What could Alice have possibly seen? What could make this girl so interesting to me? I twirled my pencil between my fingers. I was in history. The teacher had noticed I was not even close to paying attention. She called on me. I heard the question before she even asked it.

_He may have a 4.0, but that doesn't mean he can ignore my class. _"Mr. Cullen…_which American president made the …"-_Louisiana purchas-" I sighed.

"It was Thomas Jefferson in 1803." She scoffed at me before singling out another student. More time passed. The bell rang, signaling lunch. Great. Since I had no need to eat, it would be yet another hour to ponder Alice's cryptic words, search for this girl, or worse, have Alice gloat about being right in my interest in this girl that I hadn't even met yet. I got there early, so as to be able to watch the rest of the school population cycle in. Maybe I would catch the new face amongst the sea of old. I passed through the lunch line, grabbing the first things I saw; an unappealing salad covered in powdery shredded cheese and processed diced meats and a shiny red apple. I made my purchase and sat down at the Cullen's usual lunch spot. It was a table in the far corner of the open cafeteria, pushed up against a wall. It was always left open for us, except on occasion when a frightened young freshman would make the mistake of sitting there, before an intimidating Emmett and Rosalie would scare them away. It always made me laugh. If only the poor childred knew the real reason they should be frightened of us. But they didn't, and it would stay that way.

I dropped my tray with a clatter to the table and slouched in my seat. My eyes scanned the room. Students were just now starting to make their way in. Emmett and Rose joined me soon after. Neither of them spoke to me, they were too wrapped up in each other to pay any mind to anyone else. Sometimes I wished I had a connection that strong to someone. Anyone. Then I saw her. The famous new girl. She was huddled amongst a crowd of other students. She looked terribly uncomfortable. I caught her name from the mind of another student. Isabella. What a unique name. At that point, an over-exuberant Alice plopped down beside me, followed my Jasper, who still seemed bemused with his wife's behavior. I was too.

"So…have you talked to her yet? She was in my English class third hour, but I only got to talk to her a little bit…she seems so sweet, and so shy…" I cut her off.

"No, Alice…I haven't. And you shouldn't either. Neither of us have any business with this girl. You should leave her be. She doesn't belong in our world." I pressed my fingers to my temples and rubbed them for a moment. Alice was being insane. If we got too friendly with her, then she could discover what we really were.

"You're wrong, Edward…she does." I turned to her, my eyes wide, I heard Rosalie hiss in the background, but Alice said nothing more. She just turned her eyes to the mysterious girl sitting across the cafeteria from us. My eyes followed. She was staring back at us. Her chocolate brown eyes captured me and held mine to hers. Then I realized. I couldn't hear a word this girl was thinking. I concentrated, blocking out everyone else surrounding her, but nothing. She was a mute in a sea of constant thought. I saw her lips move. She was asking a question to one of the other girls. One I recognized as Jessica Stanley. Jessica scoffed. I heard her reply. "Them? Those are the Cullen's. They're all adopted. They live with some rich doctor and his wife outside town. Don't bother with them. They don't talk to anyone but each other." Then I heard her, Isabella whisper a response.

"That's not true…the girl with the short black hair. She talked to me in English. She seemed very nice and polite." I cocked my head. Had I heard this girl right? She wasn't instinctively afraid of us. She was even defending Alice, whom she'd only spoken to once. Jessica sneered at her.

"Well, whatever…she probably won't talk to you again. She probably just felt like she had to because you're new." Angela, the girl beside her knocked her in the arm and glared at her disapprovingly. Isabella hung her head a bit, but then she turned back to look at me once again. Again, I caught her gaze. Alice snickered at me.

"I knew it! You do like her! Pay up Jasper, Emmett." I heard them grumble slightly as they reached into their pockets and each handed Alice a small wad of cash. She smirked, and I scowled at her.

"You made a bet on this? You're all unbelievable. I don't like her, I don't even know her." "No, not yet…but you will. You're intrigued, I can tell that already. You have biology with her. You can get to know her then!" Alice was bouncing up and down in her chair.

"No. I won't." Just as I finished, the bell rang and I groaned slightly. Alice continued to giggle. She jumped up and raced past me, towards the girl. I heard her shout.

"Hey, Bella! How was your lunch? I'll take you to your next class if you want."

_You had better be there, Edward._ She finished in her mind. I couldn't help but chuckle a little as I saw the bewildered expression on Jessica as Alice began to tow Bella in the direction of the biology room. I took a different route, a shorter one, so I would arrive first.

There had a be some reason for Alice's excitement. I just couldn't figure out what. I could never be friends with a human. It would be too great a risk for both of us. Besides, this Isabella…or Bella, as she apparently liked to be called, seemed like a perfectly nice girl, she didn't deserve to be drawn into our world. But then I couldn't help but think of Alice's words in the lunch room. _You're wrong, Edward…she does_.

Just then I saw Alice wave at Bella from the door as she stepped inside. She hung up her worn raincoat on the hook next to the door and made her way to the teacher's desk. She handed him a slip of paper to sign. He smiled at her and handed her a book and some papers. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She had long, wavy mahogany hair to match her stunning eyes. Her shape was lovely too. She was petite, but curvy. She simply wore a long-sleeved thermal shirt and a pair of jeans, but she made them look like an outfit right off the runway. She was what a human might call 'ordinary' but to me, she was anything _but _ordinary.

Just as I was about to drop my gaze, a breeze blew in from the window. In some cruel twist of fate, her fragrance hit me at that moment. It was so strong, so pure, so potent. Her blood was like nothing I had ever encountered before. It was then that I knew it was what I had waited my whole life for. Her blood. The exquisite substance that gave life to her body. I had to have it. The monster in me roared in excitement. She might have had a chance, but then the teacher did the one thing that would be the end of her. He placed her in the seat next to mine. She nodded at him, swishing her hair and directing more of her delectable scent my way, then she proceeded down the walkway between the desks. She slipped in a small puddle of water, tripped over a classmate's bag, but caught herself on the table edge. Her face flushed a brilliant shade of rose. The blood pooled in her cheeks and I had to clench my hands to the desk to keep from lunging for her at that moment. She smiled at me nervously before she set down her books and took her seat next to me. She was just inches away. I calmed myself. No, I could not do this here. With witnesses. I would have to wait for class to be over. My mind kept roaming over plans. How could I lure her away. Just far enough so no one would be able to hear her screams. The forest just beyond the campus. I looked over at her briefly, and saw her staring at me. I knew I must look frightening. My eyes would be black with hunger, my muscles tense and ready to kill. But I couldn't scare her away. She would have to trust me. I gulped down a mounting pool of venom from my mouth and smiled at her.

"Hello…Bella, isn't it? I'm Edward Cullen, it's nice to meet you." She looked at me, bewildered, no doubt witnessing the internal struggle I was now having within myself. She nodded her head and answered me.

"Y-yes…I'm Bella…Bella Swan. It's nice to meet you too. I think I've already met you sister, Alice. She's very nice."

Ah, but how could I forget. Alice had a connection with this girl. Is _this_ what she meant when she said I would be _interested_ in Bella? That I would want her blood, like I had never wanted any other human's before? How could she not have seen what this girl would do to me? And worse, she had been encouraging me to speak to her. She would be angry with me when I killed her, no doubt. But a few weeks of the cold shoulder from Alice would be well worth the exquisite blood that flowed through this girl's veins.

"Yes, She's quite the chatterbox. She seems to have taken a…..a liking to you, she was telling me at lunch." Be friendly, be friendly, just be friendly. I chanted in my head over and over. I flashed another smile, knowing that women usually swooned when I did so. It seemed to have the same effect on her too. She blushed again and I groaned internally. She was embarrassed.

"O-oh….she talked about me?"

"Just a little. Don't worry, nothing bad." I smiled reassuringly at her. She nodded and smiled back shyly. It really would be a shame to kill her, but her blood just…sang to me. I watched the clock with growing impatience. Hearing ever tick as the black hands moved impossibly slow. I looked beside me again to see Bella diligently taking notes. She would look at me through the curtain of her hair every few seconds or so, but then her gaze would quickly shift to the front of the room again. I made no effort to pretend anymore. I just thought about her. More specifically, about her blood. I mostly held my breathe to keep control, but every once and awhile I would inhale the tiniest bit, just enough to get a small sample again.

Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of fifth hour. The end of this poor, unfortunate girl's life. I quickly took action. "May I walk you to your next class, Bella?" She fumbled with her words a bit before she rose from her seat.

"Um…sure, I have gym next…" She had grabbed her coat and exited the room, I followed right on her heels. I took her outside, along the back of the building so I could make my suggestion. Then I stopped in front of her and turned to face her.

"Why don't you come with me….for a walk in the forest. I'm sure you don't really want to go to gym. We could skip together." I flashed another smile and hoped she would take the bait. She surprised me.

"Well, I um….I would, but it's my first day, and I shouldn't to miss it…you know?" She was going to be more difficult. Something about this girl _was_ intriguing. Too bad I didn't have the self control to get to know her. I turned my sad eyes to hers. Time to turn on the charm.

"Oh, come on, Bella…It's just one class. Gym isn't important. You could just say you got lost on the way to the building tomorrow." I could see that her resolve was beginning to crack. Yes! She would be mine.

"I-um…okay, I guess you're right…" I grinned at her and took her hand. She was wearing gloves, much to my luck, so she did not recoil from me when she felt my icy skin make contact with hers, still she seemed to tense when I touched her. I pulled her along down to the forest edge. It was dark when we reached it. Foreboding. The sky above was shrouded in misty clouds, but she did not stop. She seemed to be in a daze. I pulled her up the slight hill, over the top, and down to a small clearing on the other side. I heard the bell for class ring in the distance. I stopped. She bumped into my back. I turned, laughing at her.

"Sorry…I'm a bit clumsy." She quickly apologized, but I waved it off. She leaned up against an enormous cedar tree. It's trunk was nearly three times her width. I stepped closer to her.

"You, know…I brought you out here for a reason, Bella." I breathed out towards her when I said her name. My scent was intoxicating her. That I could tell already. I placed a hand above her delicate frame on the bark of the cedar.

"Oh..d-did you? What would that be?" Her nerves were getting the best of her. I placed my other arm on the opposite side of her, eliminating her chances of escape. Not that she would want to escape. Not that she could. I winked at her, letting the monster within me play with my food before I let him have her. "Mmhmm…Bella, I find myself very…attracted to you, I can't quite explain it." Suddenly I felt her mood shift. She cowered beneath me, looking up at me with her wide, expressive brown eyes. Her bottom lids seemed to be brimming with tears.

Then I realized, of course, what this must seem like to her. I must be coming off to her as some sort of sexual predator. Well, she had it half right, but it wasn't her body I desired. For some reason I had the overwhelming urge to comfort her. Tell her that everything would be fine. But I knew that it wouldn't. I was about to end this innocent young girl's life. She had a family, a future, a _life, _and I was snatching that away. But I was too far gone to be able to bring myself back. I had let the monster loose and he would not be caged again until he had been satisfied. I sighed in defeat, placing my palm on her cheek. She shuddered at the touch, for the first time, feeling my icy skin against hers. The tears that had been building finally broke through the dam and streaked down her soft face. Without thinking, I wiped a few of them away. She gasped at the contact.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I could smell the adrenaline pulsing through her now. She was readying herself for a fight. One she could not win. She began to shudder more violently now, and I placed a hand on her hip, the other slid down from where it had been placed above her head down to her shoulder. She froze under my touch. I leaned into her and inhaled, letting her scent intoxicate me, drive me forward. I could not wait any longer. I pushed back her curtain of hair to expose her soft white neck. I could see the veins just beneath the skin.

"I am sorry Bella…please forgive me." I whispered into her neck as my mind went fuzzy and my mouth opened, allowing my dangerous teeth to make contact with her fragile body. She gasped at the sensation, and I pulled her closer to me without thinking. Her body went limp and I molded it to mine.

Then, suddenly, I felt a sharp pain go through my entire body. Like an electric pulse. Reluctantly, I removed my mouth. Her precious blood dripped from the perfect crescent shaped wound on her neck. I tried to go back for more, but a hushed voiced stunned me into submission.

"Edward…how could you?" I turned, blood still smearing my lips, to see Alice staring back, her eyes wide in confusion and fear. She was beside me in an instant, tearing Bella's limp body from me. She wasn't dead. Not yet. But she would be. I lunged at Alice, trying to win back my prize. She leapt nimbly to the side, still cradling an unconscious Bella. In another instant, Jasper and Emmett were at my side. They each grabbed and arm, effectively restraining me. Keeping me away from the one thing I wanted more than anything else in this life. I let loose a vicious snarl to which Alice replied in a low growl.

"How could you do this? It wasn't suppose to be like this, Edward. It was suppose to take time, you were suppose to fall in _love!" _The last word echoed through the clearing, hitting me like a ton of bricks and waking me from my blood-induced stupor. Love? How could I love this girl, whom I didn't even know. Then another equally as powerful thought struck me. She wouldn't be a girl for much longer. She would become like us. I had bitten her, but failed to kill her. As we spoke, the venom was coursing through her system. Changing her.

"We have to stop the transformation Alice, we have to kill her. NOW!" I again tried to pull free, but my brother's combined strength was too much for me. Alice shook her head.

"No. Don't you understand? Her. This girl." She lifted up Bella's head a tiny bit. "She is your soul mate, Edward. Your _Destiny_. And you are hers. She is your one chance at love. I won't let you lose that, no matter how ignorant you're being." I was livid. How could Alice even suggest this.

"You can't do this to her! You cannot damn her to this life just for my sake. Why didn't you tell me any of this before?" Alice looked wistful.

"I didn't think you'd understand. I knew you would be too self-righteous to admit that maybe you do need someone to complete you. You need a best friend, a soul mate, a lover. She could be all of those things for you Edward, and more. You just have to give her the chance. Besides, it's too late to reverse the change now anyway. We'll have to take her to Carlisle."

Carlisle. His name sent shivers down me. How could I even look him in the eye after what I had done? I had given into my bloodlust, and now, because of that weakness, an innocent girl would be forced into this life. Even if I was meant for her, she could never be meant for me. I didn't deserve to be loved. I was a monster. But a voice in the back of my head told me that the others were just like me, and they all had someone to love. Carlisle and Esme, Alice and Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie. They all had each other, why did I not deserve the same? My heart was conflicted.

Even if I accepted this, how could she ever forgive me for what I had done. She had been so frightened when I had bitten her. I had had every intention of killing her. But something had stopped me. Something had made me pull away. Before Alice's interruption, I had felt an odd sensation. Almost painful, like an electric shock. It _made_ me pull away from her, as if my life depended on not killing her. But that couldn't be. I had never believed in fate or destiny. I refused to believe that I was destined to live this grotesque existence for the rest of eternity, and if I was, then fate was cruel, and nothing good could come from it.

A scream of agony roused me from my thoughts and I looked over to Alice, who was now shushing a thrashing Bella. The scream had come from her. She had become conscious again, and was now feeling the full force of the pain of transformation. Alice tried to console her, to no avail. I tried to step towards them, but Emmett and Jasper would not loosen their grips. I pleaded.

"I'm in control now, I swear…just let me go to them." I saw Emmett throw Jasper a nervous glance and then he looked down at me."Are you sure, bro?"

"Positive. Jasper, please?" They both nodded and released me. I was by Bella's side in two quick strides. Alice hissed, low and menacingly. She was already so protective of Bella. I instantly felt the guilt wash over me as I looked down at the shuddering girl in my sister's arms. This was all my fault. How could I have ever let myself slip? I would make up for this, I promised myself. I would make it up to my family and to Bella. I looked at Alice with pleading eyes.

"Please, Alice…let me take her home. It would be much quicker if I take her, I'm the fastest runner." Alice's face softened and she nodded.

"Promise me that you're in complete control, Edward." She knew that I could never lie to her.

"I promise you, Alice…she will be safe with me." Alice handed me Bella's quivering body somewhat reluctantly. I cradled the fragile girl in my arms. Her scent was no longer overwhelming for me. It was already mixed with the scent of my venom. Still, to be safe, I held my breath. I looked over her shaking form briefly, to ensure no other damage had been caused. None. She was absolutely perfect. Besides the fact that her body was dying.

Then her eyes shot open and her screams became more pronounced. She turned her gaze to meet mine, but she almost seemed to see right through me. Then she pleaded with me.

"God, please…please make it stop…I'm burning! Oh God, it burns…it hurts so bad…" Every word she spoke was like a dagger through my heart. I tried to calm her, holding her closer to my body.

"It will be okay Bella. You'll be okay, I promise you. I'm so sorry for what I've done." Bella murmured in pain again. I pressed my hand to her forehead, hoping the coolness of it would relieve some of the burning. She seemed to take notice, sighing in relief. I turned to the other three who had regrouped behind me.

"What about the school?" Alice scoffed, as if I should know the answer.

"Rosalie is already taking care of that as we speak, she'll meet us at home with your car, now GO!" I turned from the rest of my family and took off through the forest. I clutched Bella's tiny body closer to me as I ran. I knew I wouldn't drop her, but I felt a need to be closer to her still. I heard Alice on my tail, maybe a hundred feet behind me, Emmett was on my right, and Jasper on the left. Bella's breathing quickened as I ran faster, she took short audible gasps, telling me she must be in even more pain than before. I had to get her back to our home as fast as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** _Thanks for reading the first chapter. Lots of people have added this story to their favorites or their alerts, so I've decided to continue it for now. I'd really really like some reviews for this story though! :) Other than that, thanks for the support and please enjoy Chapter two of My Destino.  
_

I was still chastising myself for slipping. This poor girl, Bella, she didn't deserve this fate, no one did, yet I had forced it upon her. I didn't see how Alice expected us to bond after what I had done to her.

I hear the devious pixie's thoughts invade my head, almost as if she could read my mind.

_"She will be angry with you for awhile. But you must be patient with her. She'll forgive you. She's incredibly self-less, it's one of the things you'll love her for." _During her speech, Alice had appeared next to me.

"How Alice? I don't even know her." She looked at me for a moment, a light twinkling in her gold irises.

"You will." With that, she fell back into line with Jasper and I sped up, hoping to get Bella into some sort of comfortable position soon for the duration of her pain. I sighed and looked down at the stranger in my arms. She was beautiful, that was obvious, it would only be enhanced by the transformation. Alice had told me she was self-less…that wasn't hard to believe. She exuded good feelings; caring, kindness, passion. Maybe I could love her, but I was still skeptical to believe that she could ever love a monster like me.

_Would you please stop loathing yourself so much? You're guilt is enough already, I think I might become suicidal if you keep this up. _Jasper's thoughts broke me from my reverie and I looked over to him sheepishly.

"I'm sorry…I'll try to contain it." He nodded his thanks. Sometimes I felt like I had an ally in Jasper, as he was the only one who would ever know exactly how I feel. Of course, any of our family members could say that, but during my long and frequent bouts of melancholy, Jasper always understood me, even if my feelings hurt him. The fact that my emotions caused him so much pain, in turn made me feel worse, and the vicious cycle continued. But he always forgave me.

After a few more minutes of running we made it to our house. Rosalie had already arrived and I saw Carlisle's Mercedes parked out front. Alice must have called him. I guess I should have been thankful for that. Carlisle had the most experience with transformation, obviously, but I was still too ashamed to face him. Esme awaited us on the front steps. When we reached them, I could not look her in the eye. I felt more ashamed of myself now that I ever had before. I didn't feel like my family should take me in so willingly after the atrocity I had committed, but of course, they did. Esme did not think twice before she gingerly put her arms around me, careful to not disturb the shaking girl in my arms.

"Goodness, Edward…we need to get her inside, Carlisle's waiting for us in his study." I led the way up the main staircase to the second floor study. I didn't bother to knock, instead just shifting Bella's weight in my arms and twisting the brass knob to let myself in. The study looked much the same, except Carlisle had shifted the long black suede soft from it's former position in the corner up closer to his desk at the back end of the room. The curtains were open, letting in the tiny amount of light that made it's way through the overcast sky. I placed Bella on the couch before turning to Carlisle. I steeled myself for his inevitable fury. But it didn't come. The same cool look of composure that was always present on his face remained.

"Carlisle…I'm so sor-" He lifted a hand, silencing me before I could finish my apology.

"No son, there's no need for apologizes. This was not your fault. From what Alice told me over the phone, I think it's safe to say you've meet your singer. It would have taken centuries of practice to be able to resist the type of pull a singer has a vampire. It's quite fascinating." I was confused, to say the least. Instead of the anger, shame, and disgust I was expecting from him, Carlisle had told me that there was really nothing I could have done to keep from attacking this poor girl. I still didn't think her status as my "singer" had earned her my brutality though.

"I wish you wouldn't defend my actions, Carlisle…what I've done is wrong…horrible." My father figure shook his head at me.

"No, son…you were able to stop. That shows so much more restraint than I thought any of you were capable of." I could feel the anger building inside me. This wasn't right.

"How can you say that? I've turned her into a monster…she would have been better off if I'd just killed her…." The words stung me as I spoke them, but they still came out, and a part of me desperately wanted to believe them, but I couldn't. Bella belonged with me. I couldn't name the emotions that now ran through me, but I knew that I didn't want this girl dead.

Carlisle seemed to sense my regret. He said nothing more to me as he began to examine Bella. She had been amazingly quite since I had entered the house. She was still shaking violently though. He checked her pulse, looked at the bite wound and did a once-over of her body, checking for any damages I may have unintentionally inflicted during my sprint to the house. He looked back up after a minute and nodded to me. She was okay. I sighed in relief. I heard the others moving about downstairs, but I had no desire to leave Bella alone. I felt as though there was a magnetic pull between us. I could not separate myself from her. Not that I had any intention of doing so. Carlisle excused himself to talk to the family, closing the door with a click behind him. I pulled over one of the leather chairs from beside his desk over the couch. I placed it at Bella's head and sat down. I longed to touch the girl suffering before me, to comfort her, but I hesitated. Would she want me, of all people, to touch her? I thought for a moment before giving in and once again resting my hand gently on her forehead. She seemed to take comfort from that like before. I heard her sigh a bit when we made contact.

"That feels so…nice….the cold." I smiled a bit at her words. I was glad I could bring her some sort of relief, however small.

_May I come in? We need to talk._ Alice's thoughts invaded my mind and she had opened the door and situated herself at the opposite end of the couch before I had a chance to respond verbally.

"Did you tell Carlisle?" She looked at me with interest, like a sample under the microscope, and I tensed under her gaze. She was being exceptionally calm.

"Tell him what? That I nearly drained an innocent girl dry, but instead, I turned her into a vampire? I think that part is hard to miss Alice." She shook her head at me, a small smile playing on her lips.

"What is so funny about this?"

"Not why you started, silly….did you tell him why you stopped?" I was about to answer her, but my mouth simply hung open, no words came out. Why had I stopped? The shock. The electricity I had felt between us when I had bitten her.

"No…I didn't. Alice, how would you know about that?"

"Isn't it obvious? I saw it. I saw that you would take her to the woods. I saw that you would bite her, and I saw that you would stop. I still tried to hurry to get there before you had had a chance to do anything, but you had already pulled away from her before I got the chance to stop you. What was it that made you stop?" I was shocked. Alice knew that I would attempt to attack Bella, but she had failed to stop me in time. I could have just skipped biology, changed my classes, stayed away from her, and keep her safe, keep her _alive._ But that hadn't been part of Alice's plan. She wanted me to talk to Bella. She had said that we were supposed to fall in love.

"I felt something when I bit her. A kind of electric shock. It hurt me. It made me pull away."

"Fascinating…" She was beginning to sound like Carlisle now.

"Really, Alice…now is not the time. Why did you not stop me before I hurt her?" A full blown grin broke out onto her face and I scowled.

"I told you already. You're meant to be. It was destiny. You would have changed her eventually…and while I admit, it might have been easier to fall in love before hand and change her later, it will all still work out in the end." I dropped my head into my hands.

"She'll never forgive me for this." Alice rose and came to my side. She patted my shoulder and then bent down to brush a stray strand of hair off Bella's pained face. She smiled.

"She will. It is her nature to forgive. And she will fall in love with you as you will with her. No decision either of you make can change this. It's destiny, like I said. The reason I didn't stop you Edward, is because I couldn't. I could delay your meeting, but it would happen no matter what. It's true, I was unaware that she was your singer. I thought you would be able to control your bloodlust around her, but considering that she _is_ your singer, and you were still able to stop…that shows remarkable strength. Something else is at work here…to bring the two of you together. Don't worry about the logistics…just be glad that you have her now."

I nodded slightly and sighed. Alice rose from her position next to Bella and made her way to the door or the study.

"Just remember to be patient, Edward."

She threw the words over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her. I reached for Bella's hand and held it away from her body. She was shivering now. I could remember the pain of my change clearly, as if it had happened just the other day. It was excruciating. I hated to think that I was the cause of such pain to such a lovely creature. But Alice had told me she would forgive me, and I was more inclined to place my stock in her predictions. Bella would forgive me…eventually, and I would be patient until the time came. Maybe I had changed her too soon, but there was hardly anything I could do now to reverse it. Maybe in the time it would take for her to forgive my deplorable actions…we would fall in love with one another. My dead heart leapt at the thought. Finally, after decades alone, I would have someone to share my life with. My secrets, my hopes, dreams, and fears.

And then Bella's screams drew me back out of my mind. She was thrashing again. I moved to hold her arms down at her sides, trying to keep her from hurting herself. She groaned and struggled against me harder. I was amazed that her body still had the strength. Of course, I wasn't using all of my force…that could crush her still. Her legs were still flailing out left and right. Before I knew what I was doing, I had pick up Bella and sat back down on the couch with her lying half on me. Her head and torso were draped across my lap with he legs still dangling at the other end. She quieted immediately. My coldness seemed to have soothed her again. She snuggled closer to me and my body tensed. Was this okay? To be in such close contact with a girl I barely knew? I had no idea. I had never been even close to being this situation before. I rationalized our close proximity by telling myself that it was for Bella's benefit. My cold skin was comforting to her. Making the transition even the tiniest bit easier for her couldn't be deemed inappropriate, could it?

Bella's thrashing stopped almost completely, slowing down to a shudder. She let out soft moans every few minutes. Her heart was beating faster than a hummingbirds'. It worried me. I had never been this close to any one of my family members during their change. I didn't know the 'norm' for turning into a vampire. Was her heart supposed to be beating this fast? Carlisle hadn't seemed to worried about her condition before, so I let the thought drop. I stared down at Bella's beautiful face. Her features were twisted in pain, but still gorgeous. Her pale white skin only seemed to draw more attention to her full red lips and rich chocolate hair. If her eyes had been open, I'm sure I would have been absolutely lost in them. And her lips…I just wanted to…God, what was I thinking? I shouldn't be having these thoughts about her. I didn't know her. She didn't know me. We were not in love.

Her breathing hitched and she let out a sigh. I sighed along with her. We may not be in love yet, but I could not deny her beauty.

As if by magic, Alice's thoughts came to me. She was seeing another vision of Bella and I. I closed my eyes and focused on what she was predicting. They were short, clipped visions. Bella awaking as a vampire; she was breathtaking. Bella and I speaking…embracing… kissing…my eyes snapped open. "_Thought you might enjoy that…" _Alice thought to me. I smiled to myself and looked down at the beauty beneath me. I wished now more than ever that I could take her pain away.

Two more days passed. Two more days and nights of agony for Bella. Forty-eight more hours of watching her pained, tortured expressions. But finally, it was over. She would awaken this afternoon.

Alice bounded into Carlisle's study, where I had been for the past three days.

"Are you ready?" I turned and asked Alice. She scoffed at me.

"Are you?" She smiled and pulled at my arm. "Come on, out. I need to get Bella out of these cloths, they're filthy…" I gawked at Alice.

"You're going to undress her?" She simply nodded her head and tugged on me more forcefully.

"She'll never even know it was me. Out. Now. She'll be up within the hour." My heart leapt at that thought. I would finally get to meet her. Really meet her. I was ecstatic. I reluctantly stood and left the study. I paced just outside the closed door, waiting.

Alice finished in record time and was back outside the door in mere minutes.

"I think it would be a bad idea to have the whole family in the room when she wakes. I talked to Carlisle about it yesterday, he thinks me, you, Jasper and himself should be the only ones. Not that Rosalie has much interest in meeting her." I understood Carlisle's reason. He wanted Alice to see any potentially dangerous decisions Bella might make. He wanted Jasper there to calm her. He would be able to explain to her what happened. And he knew that there was no way in hell he could keep me out of the room when she awoke.

"When?" I questioned Alice. She looked at me thoughtfully for a moment before answering.

"Any minute now. You get back in there, I'll find Jasper and Carlisle." With that, my pixie sister danced down the staircase to seek out our father and Jasper. I took an unneeded deep breathe before entering the room again. I stopped dead in my tracks. There on the couch was Bella. Only, she was sitting up, staring at me. She was gorgeous, flawless, wonderful. I heard the sound of Alice's gasp on the floor below me. I saw Bella's eyes flash from me to the window and back again. She was thinking of fleeing. I composed myself before trying to speak.

"Please…don't be frightened of me. Bella…" I reached out my hand and even though I was a room away from her, she seemed to recoil. My heart shrank.

"How do you know my name…?" She wasn't frightened. She was skeptical. But worst of all…she didn't remember me. Or maybe that was a good thing. I could have a fresh start with her. Maybe she wouldn't have to know the horrendous way I lured her from school, seducing her to follow me into the woods, and attempted to kill her. She wouldn't have to know. We could start a new and maybe then she could love me. I just had to earn her trust.

"It's a very long story, but Bella, please believe me when I say that you are safe here and we will explain everything to you." As if on cue, Carlisle, Alice and Jasper appeared behind me. Alice whispered an apology to me but I waved it off. She couldn't always be right after all. Carlisle stepped past me and introduced himself to Bella.

"Hello, Bella…my name is Carlisle Cullen. You're in my home now. I know you must have many questions for me and I'd be happy to answer them all for you. Do you mind if we come in? He paused as Bella nodded minutely, then smiled warmly at her.

He walked into the room and took a seat at his desk. Bella followed him with her eyes. She was in defense mode. The room was thick with tension. I entered next and Alice and Jasper came in behind. Carlisle glanced at Jasper and nodded. An instant wave of calm floated over us all. I felt myself relax and noticed Bella settle down as well. Her now crimson eyes drifted to Alice, Jasper and myself. Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Forgive me, Bella…these are my children, Alice, Jasper…and Edward." He hesitated on my name, and Bella picked up on it.

"Edward…? Edward Cullen? D-do I know you?" I wanted to lie. I wanted to tell her that I'd never met her before. But Alice, ever the meddlesome sister, interrupted my thoughts.

_Don't lie to her Edward. Tell her the truth. It will be harder for her to forgive you if you start lying now. _Suddenly it made sense. Of course, I couldn't lie to Bella. If I wanted her to love and trust me one day, I couldn't start lying to her now. Why did Alice always have to be right? I sighed softly and nodded at her.

"Yes, Bella…we went to school together. Do you remember any of it?" She stared back at me and then turned to Carlisle.

"No. I don't remember. I don't remember anything…but you seem so familiar. What happened to me?" There it was. The one question I feared most. The answer would make or brake the basis of our relationship. We all turned to Carlisle. He smiled softly at her and then answered her.

"This may be a lot for you to take in Bella, and I understand if you need time, but I am telling you the truth." He paused for a moment, seeming to be at a loss for words despite the numerous times he had given this speech. I remembered clearly the day he had explained to me what I had become. I remembered how shocked and appalled I had been. I suddenly felt sick. How would Bella react? A million possibilities floated through my mind. Alice grabbed my arm and squeezed it reassuringly.

"_It will all be fine in the end, Edward…remember that." _Carlisle continued.

"I'll get straight to the point, Bella. Me, and my family…we're different." She nodded slowly in understanding…if only she had any idea what was to come. "We're vampires Bella." She blinked rapidly, her features scrunching up in confusion and began to shake her head.

"I don't understand…Vampires don't exist. Even if they did, what does that have to do with me…?" Carlisle sighed. I felt another surge of calm descend on us.

"You're a vampire now also, Bella. You were bitten three days ago. It was an accident. We didn't mean for it to happen." Again, she shook her head, more vehemently this time.

"No. No, I don't believe you. That's impossible." I couldn't just stand by and watch her struggle. I took a step forward I reached out my hand to her. She tensed up immediately and I could hear a hint of a hiss come from her. She gasped and clapped her hand to her mouth after emitting the foreign sound. Alice grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"_What are you doing? Take it slow…she's not ready." _I lowered my hand and sighed. Alice was right, yet again. I had to give Bella time. I knew that would be difficult. Carlisle spoke up again.

"I know it sounds absurd, Bella. But you must believe me. Do you not feel different? You can see clearer, hear better, react faster. You feel a burning in the back of your throat. You are no longer human." He gave Bella a sympathetic look and folded his hands, laying them on his desk. Bella raised her arm and examined it. She gasped at her flawless white skin. She looked up at us, taking each one of us in separately. Her eyes lingered on me a bit longer. I took that chance to smile reassuringly at her. She smiled back, but only for a fraction of a second.

"May I please have a moment alone? To…to think about all of this?" She looked at Carlisle. He nodded and stood, coming around his desk and gesturing for Alice and Jasper to follow. I started after them, but Alice's thoughts stopped me.

"_No. Edward, you need to stay. Don't worry…she's not frightened of you. She needs someone to talk to."_ I nodded and stopped. Bella looked up at me questioningly.

"Do you mind if I join you, Bella? I could explain things a bit more?" She thought for a moment before nodding. Slowly, I made my way back to the leather chair that until recently, I had not left for the past three days. I sat down. She stared at me blankly. Being this close to her, I finally was able to take in her new appearance. Her skin was snow-white, perfect. Her eyes had turned a deep crimson color, indicating the significant amount of human blood that still flowed through her. Her hair seemed to have grow slightly, now cascading down to her lower back in soft chocolate waves. It shined, catching the glint of the sun through the window. The sun. It must have broken through the clouds. Her skin now shimmered like diamonds. Like mine. Once again she lifted her hand and examined the glittering skin. She seemed mesmerized by it. Then she looked at me and gasped. My whole body had caught the light. Every inch of my exposed skin now glistened like hers. She reached out her hand to touch my arm. As her fingers grazed me I inhaled sharply. The electricity I had felt before flowed through me again. Only this time, it caused me no pain. She jumped slightly and pulled her hand back. Had she felt it also? She stumbled over her words.

"Edward…who are you? I feel like I know you, but I can't remember anything before now. Except pain…there was so much pain." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. How would I be able to explain this to her without making her hate me? I decided the truth would be best.

"Bella…I knew you before your change. I went to school with you. This…what you've become…it's all my fault. I did this to you." She looked at me, confusion once again twisted on her face.

"What are you talking about? How could you do this to me? Make me a…a vampire?" In a desperate attempt to convey my remorse, I place my hand over hers. The electricity flowed between us again, but this time, she didn't pull back. I sighed softly.

"When I met you at school Bella….I was drawn to you…to your blood. I can't explain it. It's the most tremendous feeling I've ever experienced. I couldn't stop myself. I…I lured you away from the school. I had every intention of killing you. I _wanted_ to kill you. To drink your blood. But I couldn't…I stopped myself. But I had already bitten you. My venom…it infected your blood…changed you, into this. A vampire." I paused when she recoiled from my touch again. Fear and disbelief were clear in her eyes. I begged. "Please, Bella…forgive me. I am so sorry that this happened. I didn't mean for it to happen. I thought I had control of myself…if I had known…I never would have gone to class that day. I never would have put you in that danger." She shook her head at me, scooting away to the other end of the couch.

"How could you do this to me?" She repeated, but this time with a different meaning. "I-I never did anything to you… why me?" I rose from my chair, moving towards her. She leapt from the couch and was at the door of the study in an instant.

"Please…please don't come near me. Just stay away from me…" I stopped in my tracks.

"Bella please…I know you're confused and upset. But we want to make things right with you. We want to make this easier. Me…and my family, we can teach you-""No! I don't want anything from you. How can you possibly make this "right" again? You turned me into this…this _monster_ and you can't take that back. You can't give me back my humanity." She was right, of course. I could never give her back the one thing she deserved most from me. I really never could make things right with Bella. But I trusted Alice in her predictions that everything would turn out okay in the end. I had to endure her anger and frustration. She was entitled to it. But I couldn't let her leave here. It would be unsafe for here, as a newborn, to venture out on her own. She could kill someone.

"Bella…I know you're furious with me, and you have every right to be. But you cannot leave here. It isn't safe for you or anyone out there you might come into contact with. You could kill a human if you find one." She bit her lip as her eyes searched frantically for an escape. I heard my family below us, blocking the front door. Alice was heading up the stairs, her mind a frenzied mess of thoughts. Then Bella's eyes flew to the plate glass window that was the wall on the south side of the house. I gasped and moved to stop her but I was too slow. She bolted across the room and flung herself through the glass, shattering it with a deafening crash. I made it to the window a second later. I searched the yard and spotted her already on the other side of it, racing into the forest. I leapt from the window without another thought. I saw Emmett and Jasper take off in different directions from me into the forest. Alice emerged from the house a moment later, following me.

"_I'm sorry, I didn't see this until she was about to jump. Don't worry Edward, we'll find her."_

I only nodded before speeding up. I headed east, towards Forks. For some reason, I thought she might be drawn back there. Unfortunately, there were too many humans. She could hurt one of them, no…she _would_ hurt one of them. That was what I feared most. I didn't want her to have to suffer the guilt of having killed a human. I pushed those thoughts from my mind. We would find her. We had to.

**A/N:**_Just in case some of you were wondering where I got the title for this fic, it's from a short film of the same title. The film was the result of a collaboration between Salvador Dali and Walt Disney that was only recently released. Destino means Destiny in Spanish...as you might have gathered. but anyway...it's a really awesome short if any of you guys enjoy Salvador Dali's artwork._

_Thanks for reading! Reviews would be loved!  
_


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